Environmentalists settle suit

NAPLES — Five environmental groups settled litigation against the owners of the proposed Mirasol residential development in north Naples, ending a long-running battle in an ecologically sensitive area.

According to a statement from the Naples-based Conservancy of Southwest Florida, one of the five environmental groups involved in the lawsuit, Mirasol landowner IM Collier Joint Venture and developer Taylor Morrison have agreed to set aside 1,100 acres for conservation on the site. That leaves about 500 acres for development at the Mirasol community off Immokalee Road.

Settlement talks began in 2011 after state and government agencies approved the Mirasol development.

The agreement settles years of litigation by environmentalists against developers of several residential communities in the area of the Cocohatchee Slough near the Corkscrew Swamp, including Mirasol, Saturnia Falls and Parkland. Together, developers of the three residential projects have set aside 3,500 acres for conservation.

Besides the Conservancy, other environmental groups involved in the litigation included Audubon Florida, Collier County Audubon Society, and the National and Florida Wildlife Federation.